Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 410: Appointment, Clan System (Part 2)

"The Zhaoyang Iron Guards will be renamed the Zhaoyang Army, and the Zhaoyang Army is provisionally set with a full strength of one regiment, fifty thousand men, with cultivations to be at five levels of body refinement and above. The Zhaoyang Army's organizational system will follow the model of the Rakshasa Holy Sect's Mansion Army: one hundred men to a unit, one thousand to a standard, ten thousand to a camp, with the positions of unit captain, standard chief, and commander. In addition, there will be a commandant in charge of the entire army!"

Upon hearing that Hou Yuxiao had established an army, Hou Yucheng immediately became impatient and stepped forward, looking eagerly at him, almost directly saying that he wanted to be the commandant.

"The Zhaoyang Army is set at a full strength of fifty thousand men, and we currently do not have that many troops in our clan; even if you wish to be the commandant, we do not have the conditions for it!"

Hou Yucheng's expression paused, and he remembered that Old Fifth had just said that there were less than twenty thousand people in the clan with a cultivation at five levels of body refinement or higher. The Qinglong Association, Hou Clan, Escort Agency, and other family institutions would take a portion as well, so the final number that could actually be enlisted into the Zhaoyang Army, he estimated, would probably not exceed fifteen thousand men, a far cry from fifty thousand.

"Before the Zhaoyang Army reaches full strength, Hou Yucheng will serve as the commander, in command of the entire army. You will determine the remaining standard chiefs and unit captains within the army."

"Thank you, big brother, Yucheng accepts the command!"

"Second Elder, before the full strength of fifty thousand is reached, if you can break through to Grandmaster, the position of commandant will be yours. If you can't break through, or even if someone in the clan achieves it faster than you, then I will have to consider someone else. In short, if you want to be the commandant, you'll need to demonstrate your true ability."

Hou Yucheng's expression became solemn, aware of the many eyes on him, and his gaze grew much more serious as he nodded heavily towards Hou Yuxiao: "Big brother, rest assured, I will diligently cultivate and strive to break through as quickly as possible!"

Although he was hot-tempered, he was not foolish. Since the Zhaoyang Army was a private army of the Hou Clan, the position of commandant would almost certainly not fall into the hands of others. His big brother was saying this merely to take into consideration the feelings of others; this was crystal clear to him.

Nevertheless, confident in earning the commandant position on his own merit, he was exceptionally self-assured. His cultivation talent might have been somewhat inferior to that of his big brother and Old Fifth, but compared to the outside world, even if those Sacred Land Successors came, he, Hou Yucheng, wouldn't flinch in the slightest.

Commandant of the Zhaoyang Army—if not me, then who?

Seeing the change in Hou Yucheng's expression, Hou Yuxiao knew that Second Elder understood his intentions and continued with the following appointments.

"The newly established Xuanting Bureau will have a commander in charge of both Wanyang and Tongling prefectures, with Bai Yunfan assuming that role. The Xuanting Bureau will be responsible for investigating illegality and punishing criminals, a role of great responsibility. To become a Xuanting Guard, one's cultivation must be at least at the Ten Layers of Body Openings."

The commander is to be stationed in the prefectural city, with a following of many, permitted with a hundred Xuanting Guards. In addition, each of the nine counties must have an outpost with at least twenty Xuanting Guards responsible. The remaining personnel can be recruited locally, with all expenses borne by the clan!"

Bai Yunfan, upon hearing this arrangement, immediately showed a contented expression.

"Apart from the Xuanting Bureau, another new institution will be established within the clan, called the Mi Yao Bureau, responsible for nurturing pharmacists, refining elixirs, and the business of selling elixirs externally!"

As soon as the name Mi Yao Bureau came up, everyone's gaze shifted to Yuan Yaochen Sect's Sect Master Li Sanyun. Li Sanyun was the only third-rate pharmacist in Tongling, and it was clear that Hou Yuxiao's arrangement was tailor-made for him.

"The commander and deputy commander of the Mi Yao Bureau will be held by Li Sanyun and his son!"

Li Sanyun was not surprised by his appointment. Although he possessed the cultivation of the Dan Embracing Phase, he was more famed for his status as a third-rate pharmacist, so it was certain that Hou Yuxiao would have him take on this responsibility in the clan. What he did not expect was that the chief and deputy of the Mi Yao Bureau would be directly assigned to him and his son.

Liu Jianghong and his brothers, the Bai Clan father and son, Nie Xinchuan and his brothers—all were placed into different systems. Only he and his son were not separated.

Li Sanyun looked up and met Hou Yuxiao's trusting gaze, feeling touched. He and his son Li Shiji bowed deeply to Hou Yuxiao and said respectfully, "We thank the Family Head!"

After Hou Yuxiao nodded towards him, he continued: "Another bureau, the Mansion Treasury Administration, will be established, with Old Fifth assuming the role of commander. From now on, all consumption, dealings, and profits of the clan, whether elixirs, martial arts, silver, Qinglong Association, Zhaoyang Escort Agency, will all be managed by the Mansion Treasury Administration!"

Upon hearing the responsibilities of the "Mansion Treasury Administration," everyone's eyes lit up. Given the scope of the Hou Clan's current influence and its business ventures, it was foreseeable that the wealth controlled by the Mansion Treasury Administration would be unprecedentedly vast. Even setting aside the future, the money in these five chests alone would likely far exceed the average person's imagination. Even a third-rate power leader like Li Sanyun had never seen so much silver in his lifetime.

What a lucrative position!

People looked at Hou Yuduan with a hint of envy in their eyes, but they also understood that, in terms of ability and status, the role of commander of the Mansion Treasury Administration could only belong to Hou Yuduan; there was no one else.

"Currently, our Hou Clan occupies eleven cities within two prefectures and nine counties. The appointment of a city lord must consider not only the martial arts level but also the capacity for governance. In the future, specialized administrative talents will also be necessary. Finally, the Thousand Cities Bureau will be established. Anyone aspiring to be a city lord must enter the Thousand Cities Bureau. Only after being assessed and appointed by the Thousand Cities Bureau can one take charge of a city.

This Thousand Cities Bureau will also be temporarily led by Yuduan as its commander. If a suitable candidate emerges in the future, they will be chosen for the position!"